Oklahoma Football: Sooners No. 6 in preseason Coaches Poll

As we inch closer to the anticipated beginning of the college football season, preseason prognostications are beginning to roll out. The Amway Coaches Poll is the latest one to drop, and the voting coaches have the Oklahoma Sooners at No. 6.

Here’s the full Top 25:

1. Clemson (38)
2. Ohio State (17)
3. Alabama (4)
4. Georgia
5. LSU (6)
6. Oklahoma
7. Penn State
8. Florida
9. Oregon
10. Notre Dame
11. Auburn
12. Wisconsin
13. Texas A&M
14. Texas
15. Michigan
16. Oklahoma State
17. USC
18. Minnesota
19. North Carolina
20. Utah
21. UCF
22. Cincinnati
23. Iowa
24. Virginia Tech
25. Iowa State

A few obsevations:

• The top 25 includes four Big 12 teams — Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma State and Iowa State. Their respective spots are generally pretty fair, although I would probably flip Oklahoma State and Texas simply due to the returning experience on both sides of the ball in Stillwater. ISU isn’t quite on the level of the two orange teams simply due to the fact that they experienced so many losses up front both offensively and defensively. Recruiting is improving in Ames, but it still isn’t the type of program that “reloads”.
• As far as Oklahoma is concerned, I’d probably have to put them at No. 5 ahead of LSU. The fact that the Tigers are down at No. 5 with as many as six first-place votes is pretty telling. Some voters are giving them the respect that they believe is due to a defending national champion, while many of the other coaches are taking the roster turnover and loss of Joe Brady into account.
• You’ll hear zero complaints from me regarding teams 1-4. Clemson and Ohio State return Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields, respectively, and expect to be just as tough on defense. Alabama won’t be as stellar at QB, but recruiting at their level alleviates some of that concern. The same goes for Georgia.
• With Michigan all the way down at No. 15, it would appear that people are finally getting the message.